Friday, December 30, 2011

New Year's Eve just might be the most overrated night to hit the town all year. From inflated prix-fixe dinners, to the challenge of finding a sitter, to the worries over how much other drivers on the road have been "celebrating," this night out can loose its luster once you become a parent.

But keeping a youngster up until midnight (on purpose!) doesn't sound all that great either, so family celebrations at home require a bit of creativity. Here are some ideas for a fun, yet reasonably sane, family New Year's Eve celebration.

Change the clocks--make it "midnight" at 9 pm (hey, it's already 2012 in Greenland at that point).

Make some fun New Years Eve crafts, such as water bottle or paper plate noise makers, decorate your own party hat, make a clock out of a paper plate, do a family time capsule or come up with family resolutions or goals for the New Year and post somewhere you will see it every day.

Get all decked out in your very best New Years Eve outfit, even if you are at home, and enjoy a night of dancing and just being together.

At dinner time, talk about goals, plans, hopes, and resolutions, both individually and as a family.

Get out those picture albums, baby books or albums online and talk about your favorite moments of the year.

Teachable moment--give new calendars to the kids. Great opportunity to talk about the days of the week, months of the year, etc. You can also go through and write in important events like birthdays and the last day of school.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

The gifts have been unwrapped and the dust is settling. What better time than this week to engage the kids in showing their appreciation for the goods? Even before they are able to write, kids can get in on the thank-you game. Here are a few ideas:

For toddlers, take a photo (with your phone if possible to make it easy to email) of your child enjoying their gift, tell them to "say thank you" when you take it to drive home the point of the exercise, and send it to the recipient. You could even have them hold up a sign that says "thanks"

Encourage your preschool-aged child to draw a picture of themselves with the gift to send to the giver

Skype in for a videochat to express appreciation to friends and family who do not get to see your little one often. This personal thank you, although not formal and written, can be very meaningful.

For emerging writers, make your own fill-in-the blank thank you cards that require very little writing (just the recipient of the note, the gift, and the child's signature) to be completed by your child

Growing up, the rule at our house was that cash, checks, and gift cards couldn't be spent until a note was sent--that's a good motivator to get older kids to get their notes written.

Whatever you do, engage your child in an age-appropriate discussion of how it feels to choose a gift for someone, and how great it feels when you find out that they liked it.

An attitude of gratitude is a great gift for you to give your child in this season of giving.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Are you tired of preparing the same ole breakfast every morning for your kids? I know we are! At our house, it is either a blueberry Nutrigrain waffle with fruit, peanut butter toast and sometimes if we are feeling a little daring that day, cheese omelette and turkey bacon.

Although, most of these are somewhat healthy and have the much needed protein our kids need to function at school, it is always nice to have other healthy alternatives to serve your little one in the morning. So we found a couple of recipes that we thought you might like, that are easy and jammed packed full of yummy nutritional goodness! Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! So let's make it count!

The recipes below were found on http://www.eatingwell.com/. We hope you will try them over the holiday break! We definitely are! Can't wait to hear what you and your family think of them!

Mini Mushroom-&-Sausage Quiches

1 dozen mini quiches

Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

8 ounces turkey breakfast sausage, removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup sliced scallions

1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

5 eggs

3 egg whites

1 cup 1% milk

Preparation

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Coat a nonstick muffin tin generously with cooking spray (see Tip).

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.

Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.

A good-quality nonstick muffin tin works best for this recipe. If you don't have one, line a regular muffin tin with foil baking cups.

Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, shaking the pan halfway through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add cereal, currants, apricots and raisins; toss to combine.

Combine almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 2 to 5 minutes.

Immediately pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon or spatula until no dry spots remain. Transfer to the prepared pan. Lightly coat your hands with cooking spray and press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer (wait until the mixture cools slightly if necessary). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes; cut into 8 bars.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature.

Ingredient notes: For this recipe, we like unsweetened puffed multi-grain cereal, such as Kashi’s 7 Whole Grain Puffs.

Almond butter can be found at natural-foods stores and large supermarkets, near the peanut butter.

Turbinado sugar is steam-cleaned raw cane sugar. It’s coarse-grained and light brown in color, with a slight molasses flavor. Find it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets or at natural-foods stores.

Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add egg and cook, stirring often, until set into soft curds, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread marinara sauce on English muffin halves. Top with the scrambled egg, cheese and pepperoni (if using). Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

If you are a parent of two, three or even 10 children (bless you); we know it can be difficult to find at home activities that are enriching for ALL of your children.For instance, you may find yourself wondering what in the world can I do with both my 1 year old and four year old today that will provide them each with great learning experiences.

You may be worn out from the all the holiday hustle and bustle, the local indoor play areas, and then there is only so much Disney channel you can take. So what do you do? Especially, during such a long holiday break.

Well, we have some ideas and hope this will help you beat the boredom blues. Scavenger hunts are a fav at our house. You can hide objects around the house, leave clues everywhere and see if they can find the secret treasure together. You can make it as easy or as difficult you want, depending on your children’s age. This activity is a great bonding time for your children and it also develops critical thinking skills.

Other activities:

·Tea parties. Have your kids invite all their stuffed animal friends and babies and put a blanket on the floor as it is easy for your littlest one to interact there. With this activity, you are using your imagination, all the while developing social and language skills.

·Building with blocks. Use all those boxes from Christmas or old shoes boxes if you don't have Legos or buiding blocks. This is a great way to develop fine motor skills, while encouraging your toddler to stack blocks. It is also an opportunity to help your children learn how to take turns. A hard lesson to learn we know!

·Reading. Have your oldest read your youngest a short picture book while you are preparing dinner or right before nap time. It is a wonderful way to help your oldest with their reading skills and another opportunity to expose your youngest to books, while helping build their vocabulary.

·Outdoor fun in your own backyard! Blowing bubbles, sidewalk chalk, rolling the ball back and forth between child to child, chasing each other or pushing each other in the swing. Get out and enjoy the fresh air!

We know that it can be difficult for your kids to find that common bond or want to share with their little brother, sister, cousin or friend, so we hope that these activities can encourage you to try something new with ALL your children.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly."

-Andy Rooney

We're taking our own advice and enjoying the wonder of Christmas with our families. See you back here on the 27th--we'll have some ideas for things to do while the kids are home, along with some new breakfast recipes to try out on those lazy mornings at home.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Our family has had a tradition of leaving food outside for Santa's reindeer ever since we were introduced to "reindeer food" in preschool. This concoction of grains, cereals, and glitter has drawn Santa's flying fleet for years--they enjoy it so much they linger long enough to accidentally drop a bell from their tack into the area where the feed was left!

This year our daughter's class made Reindeer Food at school.

The label reads as follows:Sparkle, SparkleMake it brightLight the way on Christmas nightSanta's sleigh will appearWith gifts and joy and Christmas cheer.

Inside this fancily painted potato chip can with googly eyes, pom pom nose, and craft stick antlers was the special blend.

Here's a closer look.

This year's mix even included some flakes of faux snow, so it is really special!
I sure hope those reindeer like it, because my daughter sure will be disappointed if she doesn't get another bell for her collection.
It's worth trying at your house...you never know what might happen!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Don't you just love riding around in your car this time of year and listening to your favorite Christmas tunes? Whether you are looking at Christmas lights in your neighborhood or running your holiday errands, there is just something about Christmas music that just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It may even bring back some favorite holiday memories with your family?

This month, we have talked a lot about making memories with your family and starting traditions. We also posted some ideas of maybe even burning your favorite Christmas songs on a CD and listening to them at home with your kids or while riding in the car?

So here is our list of Christmas music we are listening to this year. Some traditional and some new. Let us hear what your favorites are!

1. Jingle Bells by Michael Buble-really anything he sings, we love!
2. Blue Christmas by Lady Antebellum
3. Step into Christmas by Elton John
4. Please Come Home for Christmas by Grace Potter
5. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer by Shelby Lynne
6. In the Morning by Jack Johnson
7. Baby It's Cold Outside by James Taylor and Natalie Cole
8. Mistletoe by Colbie Coliat
9. A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives
10. Maybe Baby by Sugarland
11. Christmas time is Here by Vince Guaraldi Trio
12. Joy to the World by Faith Hill
13. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by the Carpenters
14. Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Jackson Five

Friday, December 16, 2011

We are fans of Anne Voskamp's blog www.aholyexperience.com. It is a rich source of inspiration and a calming place to visit during an otherwise hectic day.

She recently shared this quote, always important but especially so today, as we move into the last weekend before Christmas.

"But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this.
I did not live in the moment enought.
This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.
I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed.
I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."
-Anna Quindlen

Thursday, December 15, 2011

For our local friends, don't forget to check out Franklin Theatre for showtimes of your favorite holiday movies starting this December 21st, with A Christmas Story until New Years Eve, with The Polar Express. So if you need an outing or two while the kids are on break, or if you just need an excuse to get away from your out of town guests, go to The Franklin Theatre for some yummy popcorn, hot chocolate and a great holiday movie. Happy Holidays!

With a little help from the UPS man, and the cardboard box from Pottery Barn Kids, my girls were entertained for at least an hour, while I prepared dinner tonight. Amazing what a plain ole cardboard box can do to keep your kids busy and productive.

In our past posts, we have talked about the importance of keeping your child's toys simple and how the more simple they are, the more your child is encouraged to use their imagination, social, language as well as critical thinking skills. For example, tonight, my girls pretended their beat up Pottery Barn Kids box was a sleigh, and then after they had their fun on their sleigh ride, they imagined they were at the beach and their cardboard box, was their "boat." So while I was preparing dinner, and the girls were having fun on their sleigh ride or in their boat, they were laughing, talking, and having fun thinking of so many ways or things they could turn this ordinary box in their latest adventure.

Lesson I learned? Don't throw away every box you get in the mail. You never know what this box can teach your child as well as you!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?"

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Moms and Dads, you don't have to fill your kids' stocking up with loads of candy or just random toys that you might find at the end of an aisle that just screams, "buy me!" Yes, we have all succumbed to the impulse-buy items at the register or at the fancy holiday displays. So this time we thought, why not just think simple and educational. You know, something our kids might actually use instead of finding them crammed in their car seats or at the bottom of the barrel toy bag. Well, here are some of our favorite stocking stuffers that will never go out of style and that will be easy on the wallet too.

1. Fun pencils, notepads or travel magnadoodles
2. Stickers or story sticker books (great for fine motor)
3. Silly putty (another great way to develop fine motor skills)
4. Cardboard books, wonderful for those tiny hands to hold and to learn to flip pages
5. Magnetic Letters and Numbers, so inexpensive and a good way to expose your child to letters and numbers
6. Paper dolls
7. Stories on CDs
8. Sensory balls
9. Bubbles
10. Sidewalk Chalk
11. Bath toys
12. Plastic wands for pretend play
13. Deck of cards, Uno, Old Maid or Matching games
14. Lacing cards or beads
15. Small art tools, like crayons or watercolor paints
16. Fun Band-Aids or boo-boo packs, with their favorite characters on them

Monday, December 12, 2011

Want to make a cute gift in 5 minutes?
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Line a pan with foil.
Take some hard candy peppermint candies, unwrap, and arrange them in a circle on the foil.
Pop the pan in the oven for a couple of minutes, just until they melt into each other to stick together (watch this process-it may go faster than you expect!).
Remove from the oven.
Cool completely.
Add a ribbon to hang (green is cute!).
Voila-a 5-minute Christmas gift for a teacher, grandparent, neighbor, or friend.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Want to feel like you are walking through Charles Dickens' neighborhood? Want to tell old Scrooge to lighten up? Or feeling like Scrooge and needing to catch the Christmas spirit?

This weekend Franklin, TN hosts Dickens of a Christmas, complete with live music, vendors, and characters in period dress. Details are here.

Wanting to go back in time to your own Christmases past? Nothing brings back memories like music. If you haven't already, make a Christmas music playlist to listen to with your iPod or burn on a CD. Mine features an eclectic mix of Andy Williams, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Harry Connick, Jr., and Frank Sinatra. We may not get the white Christmas we're dreaming of, but we can make the music part of our tradition.

This wonderful holiday is all about baking and just enjoying the yummy goodness that goes along with it. So we thought every week, we would try to give you a fun recipe or two and maybe throw in some craft ideas to do with your children. Believe us, it will not be complicated. We embrace simple and kid-friendly projects. Have fun and happy baking!

Reindeer Munch

You can give this as a gift in a festive container or leave our for Santa’s helpers

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups bite size square shaped rice cereal such as Chex

2 cups thin pretzel sticks

1 cup salted cocktail peanuts (or soy nuts)

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup candy-coated milk chocolate pieces such as M&Ms

12 oz vanilla flavored candy coating or white candy melts

Make it:

1.In a very large bowl combine the cereal, pretzels, peanuts, cranberries and candy pieces; set aside

2.Chop candy melts, in a medium microwave safe bowl, melt according to package directions. Pour over cereal mixture, and toss to coat.

3.Spread mixture on a large piece of foil. Let stand until set (about 30 minutes). Break into bite size pieces. Make 12 cups (24 ½-cup serving).

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Last week at Brentwood Methodist Church www.bumc.net
the sermon was on the topic of getting ready for Christmas. The Scripture reading from Luke 3 emphasized the need for giving at Christmas as part of understanding the gift of Christ. Such sacrifice is far beyond the understanding of young children, but it is never too early to impart an expectation of giving.

Ages two, three, and four years are especially "me" focused, as children are figuring out who they are and their place in the family dynamic. But they do understand what matters to them--their toys, their TV shows, and their favorite foods are second only to their people. Without going into all the details, it is possible to explain to very young children that some people do not have the things they enjoy, and that it is good for those who do have those things to share with those who don't.

My own daughter was so inspired by this sermon that she asked to go to Target and get a couple of toys to donate to the Last Minute Christmas Store at 61st Avenue Methodist Church in Nashville, which allows selected families to "shop" for items for children for free. http://www.lastminutetoystore.com/?pg=give

She had money for this purchase because of an allowance system promoted by Dave Ramsey, author of many books on personal finance and host of the Financial Peace syndicated radio show.www.daveramsey.com

When she gets her allowance, she receives $3 to spend (which we let her spend on pretty much anything, giving her the opportunity to discover good uses for her money, like buying a pack of cool pencils to share at school, vs. not so good uses, such as a $3 lollipop that never gets finished), $1 to save for something in the future, and $1 to give. After four months of hoarding her "give" money, she was able to pick out a couple of Barbies for a child who otherwise would not be getting a doll for Christmas.

Last Monday we also took advantage of an opportunity to give a donation of food to Second Harvest Food Bank in exchange for free admission to the Frist Center for Visual Arts.www.fristcenter.org
This offer is good for the remaining Mondays in December. It was a great opportunity to have her go through the pantry, bag up her favorite foods, and then see the incredible Egyptian exhibit, complete with a real live (well, not exactly "live"...) mummy and a gorgeous exhibit of religious paintings from the 15th century called "A Divine Light" on loan from Bob Jones University.

No matter where you live, there are many opportunities to teach the giving spirit of Christmas. And as you teach your children to give, you give them the gift of generosity.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

One year, early in my marriage when our children all had four feet and fur coats, I decided not to decorate for Christmas. I was knee-deep in coursework and research projects in graduate school, my sweet husband had a new job traveling extensively, and dragging out the boxes of ornaments and decor just seemed like one big thing I could scratch off the "to do"list. I purchased a beautiful centerpiece of fresh evergreen and red roses from a local florist, plopped it in the middle of the kitchen table, and considered it Christmas. I felt smug, as if I were outsmarting all those crazy decorating people with the trees lashed to the roofs of their cars, those same trees that would soon be creating more work by dropping a daily dose of stray needles embedding themselves into berber carpet (yes, this was the late 90's).

Fast forward a couple of weeks to dinner with my mother-in-law. She had all of decorations up for her own enjoyment. She pointed out the things that she had accumulated over the years, many as handmade gifts from family and friends. She then told me a bit about some of her interior design clients who had asked her to help with their holiday decor, and told me her philosophy: "It's all about making memories."

She went on to explain that, when her kids were young, each year they eagerly awaited the unpacking of certain ornaments, Nativity sets, and sculpted Santas. The unwrapping and display of these objects were part of the tradition, as much as the sounds of the Christmas records they played each year without fail, the Santa's Whiskers cookies she baked every year, and the boiled custard and the special little cups that held it. This redundancy, year after year, became "Christmas" for her family, and created the memories that live on.

Ten years later I uphold the traditions religiously--the nativity set from the 1970's that can only be described as possibly too grand, the Advent box from Target that holds a daily treat, the carolers on top of the piano, the crystal pine trees that have graced our dining room table without fail. These items are not expensive or especially valuable to anyone else, but for us they are touchstones that take us back to Christmases past.

Yes, there have been years for high shelves, a tree behind a baby gate, and a bit more caution when toddling toes and curious hands threatened to literally break the camel's back, but I like to think that I am "making memories" each holiday season. Not decorating for Christmas? Bah humbug!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Well, we have talked about our favorite toys to give this year, books that are must reads and then seasonal activites to do with your family to get you in the spirit of Christmas, but what we haven't talked about, are our children's wonderful teachers. Teachers work so hard to give our children the best and most positive learning environment. Some get to school before some of us even think about waking up and then there are some that are the last to leave. They work tirelessly day in and day out to prepare for our little darlings so in the spirit of giving, let's make sure we show our teachers or even caregivers how much we appreciate them. We would love to hear what your favorite teacher gifts are and if you are a teacher, what do you like to receive each year. We know that it is not all about the material things, but we do think that our teachers deserve to indulge or be treated with something special. To get you started, we have come up with some of our favs: make a donation to an education related cause in their honor, gift certificate to go out to eat, a handwritten note or homemade cards, personalized notepads or stationery, fun napkis, guest towels, or a beautiful journal or planner. Some of our not so favs (we have been guilty of doing them a time or two) and these are just our opinions: coffee mugs, things with apples on them, smelly lotions, perfumes or candles, picture frames or candy. Let us hear from you! Please!

As you are counting down the days until Christmas or for some of you, how many more days you have left to get your shopping done...try to slip in a little math by helping your child count down the days on the calendar until Christmas. It is a fun tradition to start and at the same time a great way to help your child recognize their numbers and the concept of time.

For a visual, make a paper chain with one link for each day remaining until Christmas. By removing a link each day, children can visualize the big day drawing near.

Again, this season is all about making memories and starting traditions with your family. So as you are counting down the days, you could even try to plan something special to mark each day until Christmas. For example, bake cookies for Daddy or a neighbor (simple recipes to come!), or make homemade cards for friends or your child's teacher.

Monday, December 5, 2011

As we are putting up our festive Fall decorations, and trying to figure out how we can find the energy to drag out the Christmas ornaments and test those never-ending strands of lights, we are quickly reminded that the spirit of Christmas is not just to check off some to-do list or go through the motions of the holiday festivities, but what it is really about, is slowing down and trying to create memories in your home that you and your children can cherish for many years to come. Everyone’s traditions and memories are different and that is what makes them so special.

When I think of my childhood Christmas memories, I immediately think of my Grandparents and how they made this special holiday so memorable. I remember baking and decorating cookies with my Aunt and cousins at my Grandma’s house. Then, I used to always look forward to riding around with my mom and dad, looking at our town’s gorgeous Christmas lights and decorations, while listening to fun holiday tunes.I also remember the cozy feeling of getting into my holiday pjs after a warm bath and curling up on the couch with hot cocoa, to watch Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Then, as I got older, I looked forward to the traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service at my church, and then having a yummy meal afterwards, with my whole family.

It is really the simple things that we remember and cherish, even as adults. So when you are thinking about creating family traditions in your home this holiday season, remember it doesn’t have to be elaborate. You don’t have to go, go, go all the time to entertain your child. It is your time and what you believe is special.

We would love to hear what your favorite childhood memories are or what kind of family traditions you have created with your family? I know for me, I have carried the tradition of baking with my girls every week, and then just snuggling up with them each night to read them a Christmas book or watch their favorite holiday show, like Frosty the Snowman or Rudolph.

There are other ways to create family traditions like doing holiday crafts together, like Christmas cards or ornaments, setting a certain date and time to decorate the tree, or maybe even volunteering somewhere to really encourage your child and teach them about giving and not just receiving.

We look forward to hearing about your traditions and how they are special to you.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Can you imagine taking a three year-old out for dinner and a movie? Can we say "not fun!"? Little ones tend to be morning people, for better or worse. So here's a great alternative:
The newly refurbished Franklin Theatre (www.franklintheatre.com) in downtown Franklin, TN, will be showing "Elf" this Saturday morning (Dec. 3) at 10am (as well as Thursday Dec. 1 at 2:00 and 4:30). What better way to start your weekend and get you in the mood to be merry than a Christmas comedy with your family.
You could head over early for cinnamon rolls at Merridee's (www.merridees.com), or hang around afterwards for lunch at Franklin Mercantile (http://franklinmercantile.com).
Or just burn off that popcorn walking around downtown.
If you are still working on that Christmas wish list, a trip to Main Street Toy Company (http://www.shopmainstreets.com/tn/franklin/main_street_toy_company/main_street_toy_company.html) should offer plenty of inspiration.
Either way you can take in all the decorations and festive charm that seeps up through the sidewalks in this charming downtown.
If you are not local, go to a theater near you,
and just make it a day of family fun at the movies! Or rent a favorite
holiday movie of yours, pop some popcorn, and enjoy some snuggle time
with your little ones. Making memories!